The start of the 2024-25 NBA season is officially here. Make sure you check out the fantastic work of Jonathan Von Tobel, who writes up his best bets daily. Also, try and listen to A Numbers Game every morning, as Kelley Bydlon often dishes out his favorite NBA picks. But I’ll be giving out NBA best bets and player props here as often as possible, and I’ll also occasionally write up features on big news that shakes up the league. So, make sure you check out my work throughout the season. With that out of the way, let’s get into some NBA best bets and NBA player props for Friday, November 1st.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on November 1st
NBA Best Bets Today – November 1st
Boston Celtics at Charlotte Hornets – 7:00 pm ET
Boston is coming off a tough overtime loss to Indiana, and the Celtics worked extremely hard to get back in that one. They were down big late, rallied furiously and then fell a little short in the extra five minutes. Now, it might be a little hard for Boston to get up for a road game with Charlotte. However, the Hornets won’t have the same problem. They’re going to be looking at this as an opportunity to see if they can play with one of the best teams in the league. And an interesting note here is that Charlotte head coach Charles Lee spent the last few years with Boston. So, he is going to know exactly what the Celtics want to run, which should give his mediocre Hornets defense a chance. And Charlotte’s offense should be able to score against Boston’s elite defense. LaMelo Ball is one of the few players that has never been intimidated by this matchup, and he should be able to turn in a big game here. I also wouldn’t be surprised if this is another solid Tre Mann game off the bench. His ability to create space off the dribble isn’t matchup-dependent.
This is also a game in which the absence of Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis could really hurt Boston. This Charlotte team is currently weakest at the center spot, as Mark Williams is still out with a foot injury. But with the Celtics not having much at the center position right now, the Hornets will feel pretty good about how they match up — especially if Brandon Miller sheds his questionable and plays through his glute strain.
Of course, I ultimately think the Celtics will end up getting the win in this spot, but this point spread is a little too high. I’m higher on this Hornets team than most, and I feel pretty strongly about Charlotte eventually being a team that garners more respect from the oddsmakers. Perhaps that’ll be when Williams comes back, but this team is competitive now.
I also don’t hate that the Celtics are just 15-17-1 against the spread as road favorites of 6.5 to 12 points. It’s hard to win by big margins on the road, and the fact that the best team in basketball can’t do it with regularity proves that.
Bet: Hornets +10.5 (-108 – 1.5 units)
New York Knicks at Detroit Pistons – 7:00 pm ET
While the Pistons are just 1-4 straight-up this season, they are 3-2 ATS and have looked like a much better team than they were last season. Detroit has improved the spacing around Cade Cunningham, as this rotation has more reliable shooting than it did a year ago. And the Pistons have just been much more structured defensively. Their adjusted defensive rating is down from 118.0 in 2023-24 to 114.2 in 2024-25. All in all, it just wouldn’t be surprising if this Detroit team starts to win some more games soon. The Pistons have been on the wrong side of some close ones. But for tonight, all that matters is that they can play another close game.
There aren’t many trends or numbers that make a great case for Detroit tonight, but a big part of the handicap here is the battle in the paint. Karl-Anthony Towns is listed as questionable for the Knicks in this game, and I’m not too worried about it either way. If Towns plays, New York could lack a certain toughness that would be evident against a guy like Jalen Duren, who is capable of absolutely dominating on the glass. And if Towns is out, the Knicks will be left with a very weak center rotation. Either way, I like the way Detroit matches up around the basket. Good rebounding can be a thorn in New York’s side, as the group isn’t as tough on the boards as it was last year. And over the last three seasons, the Knicks are just 8-11 ATS when facing teams that out-rebound opponents by 3 or more rebounds per game.
The Pistons also happen to have the overall length required to play with a Knicks team that has a lot of talent on the wing. I also think that lineups with Cunningham and multiple floor-spacers can give New York trouble. The Celtics beat up on the Knicks by spreading things out and letting 3s fly on Opening Night. Obviously, Detroit isn’t anywhere near as good as Boston, but the team can find some lineups that will test New York’s defense.
Overall, this spread feels a little big for a New York team that is a unproven and playing on the road.
Bet: Pistons +6.5 (-110)
Chicago Bulls at Brooklyn Nets – 7:30 pm ET
The Nets have been very competitive to start the year, but I’m not sure they should be favored against the Bulls. While the margins aren’t too wide, Chicago has Brooklyn beat when it comes to both adjusted offensive and defensive ratings. On top of that, the Bulls are just a more talented team. The only thing that is a little concerning here is the injury report. Lonzo Ball is out a little bit with a sprained wrist, and Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams are both questionable. That’s why I’m not unloading the clip on Chicago. But I’m still comfortable taking this moneyline because I believe the Bulls would still be able to win without those guys.
This Brooklyn team has been feisty this year, but it is just 25th in the NBA in adjusted defensive rating (114.7). Well, the Bulls have firepower with or without LaVine. Josh Giddey has done a good job of controlling this offense, and Billy Donovan can piece together some rotations that can score. Look for this to be a big Coby White game. But where this matchup is really interesting is that Chicago could be let off the hook for being mediocre defensively. This Nets team just doesn’t have much outside of Cam Thomas offensively, so they might not be able to take advantage of the Bulls being 23rd in adjusted defensive rating (113.5).
Chicago is also pretty good about winning the games it’s supposed to. The Bulls are 35-16 SU when facing teams with winning percentages between 25.0% and 40.0% under Donovan. So, even if they do end up being shorthanded here, I like their chances of winning.
Bet: Bulls ML (+110)
NBA Player Props Today – November 1st
Sacramento Kings at Atlanta Hawks – 7:30 pm ET
I went to Kevin Huerter to go Over 8.5 points a couple of nights ago. He easily cleared the number, scoring 14 points in 27 minutes. Well, I’m going back to Huerter tonight, but I need him to score at least 11 this time. And I feel so good about it that I’m also putting a little something on Huerter to score 15 or more.
Huerter has just been locked in this season. He’s shooting 55.9% from the floor and 41.7% from deep. Sure, it’s a little concerning that he’s shooting just 8.5 times per game, which is the lowest number of his career. But he has never seen this quality of looks, with the addition of DeMar DeRozan only opening things up for him.
Huerter also happens to be facing a Hawks team that is an absolute mess right now. Atlanta is 28th in the league in adjusted defensive rating (115.1). Teams are also shooting 42.1% from 3 against the Hawks, and that’s the highest percentage in the league. Naturally, opponents are also making a league-high 18.2 triples per game game against them.
This just feels like a game that will be extremely high in scoring, especially with Atlanta being second in the NBA in pace and Sacramento having no issues with speeding things up. So, Huerter should be able to run to some spots and knock down a few 3s here. He could also get some easy shots at the rim as a cutter, or by being alert in transition. Huerter also played for Atlanta for four years, so he’ll be comfortable in this building.
Bet: Huerter Over 10.5 Points (+100 – 1.5 units) & Huerter To Score 15+ (+295 – 0.5 units)
Indiana Pacers at New Orleans Pelicans – 8:00 pm ET
New Orleans is just 15th in the NBA in adjusted defensive rating (112.0) this season, so this is a matchup in which Indiana should be able to get things going offensively. That makes it hard not to like Tyrese Haliburton to keep the chains moving with his assist numbers. Over the last two games, Haliburton is averaging 11.0 assists per game. He’s also averaging 17.0 potential assists per game over the last two, and his adjusted assists per game is 12.5. Haliburton is just doing a very nice job of setting his teammates up, and the fact that Andrew Nembhard is a little banged up only means that Indiana needs more out of its All-Star point guard. That said, I’m keeping things simple and just hoping that the best pick-and-roll playmaker in the league can continue to do what he does best.
Bet: Haliburton Over 8.5 Assists (-120)
Added Plays
Timberwolves ML (-160 – 1.5 units) vs. Nuggets
Scoot Henderson Over 21.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-125 – 1.5 units) vs. Thunder
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2024-25 NBA Record: 26-17 (+9.08 units)
